I love salsa, but it seems tomatoes are always hogging all the salsa glory. Quite frankly, I’m tired of it. It’s high time we gave other salsas their moment in the spotlight.

That’s why I’m dedicating this post to the unsung heroes of the salsa world. Yes, I’m looking at you, fruit salsa. I’ve searched the far corners of the Internet to bring you 15 amazing fruit salsa recipes that are sure to blow your mind, or at the very least, explode your tastebuds.

The great thing about fruit salsa is its versatility. You can eat it alone, use it to compliment your favorite main dish, serve it with tortilla chips, or my personal favorite, eat it on cinnamon crisps (watch for the recipe coming this week). Without further ado, I give you the stars of today’s salsa show:

If you’re looking for a classic fruit salsa recipe, then look no further than this tasty concoction from Real Housemoms. With just five ingredients, this will go from your cutting board to your mouth in no time flat.

The blackberry salsa wasn’t meant to be the star of this recipe from How Sweet It Is, but luscious berries like that can’t help but steal the show. Sorry, sweet potato quinoa cakes, you just got upstaged.

The only thing better than digging into a big bowl of fruit salsa is digging in and finding a layer of sweet no-bake cheesecake underneath! Make sure there are other people around when you make this Carlsbad Cravings recipe, or else you might just eat the whole thing yourself.

My final pick is a “choose your own adventure,” salsa style. University of California Berkeley Wellness put together this amazing infographic that breaks down the science of tasty fruit salsa, so you can pick the right ingredients and make a concoction perfectly suited to your taste buds.

Pesto, packed with basil and Parmesan, is summer’s generous gift to my belly. Of course I eat it on pasta, sometimes with a splash of cream or ricotta–but I also spread it on my sandwiches, use it as a veggie dip and dollop it on my grilled meats. It’s so versatile.

It’s also easy to change up and mix up! I swap the Parmesan for other cheeses like Pecorino or Feta, replace the pine nuts with almonds or hazelnuts and even add olives, or in this case sun dried tomatoes!

You can use this pesto like you do the plain Jane kind, but the tangy tomatoes make it really tasty on grilled sausage or brushed onto fish.

Look at that gorgeous sauce. The best part is pesto lasts and lasts in the fridge, even the freezer. Cover tightly and freeze for up to a month, or keep in the fridge, covered, for a week. If you are storing it in the fridge, keep it from oxidizing by pressing plastic wrap right on the top surface. This will keep air from getting in and prevent it from taking on odors from the fridge.

I kept the sun dried tomato pesto pretty close to my Classic Pesto, and just added tomatoes. I added a lot because I wanted the flavor to stand out from the strong garlic, Parmesan and basil. 1 cup did the trick. I like the tomatoes packed in oil (I use the oil in vinaigrette later!) because they are soft and easy to blend and chop. Some brands come vacuum-sealed and are very soft. Those would be great as well.

Serve this over grilled sausage; it's also delicious on fish and pasta.

Ingredients

4 cups packed basil leaves

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped

3/4 cup (3 1/2 oz) pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the oil, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil into the feed tube. Use immediately or freeze for up to a month.

This is one avocado mash fit for a holiday party. Take a good look at this gorgeous dip though, because it won’t last long.
Juicy grapefruit and pops of pomegranates are better than you could even think in guacamole. Seriously I couldn’t stop eating this. Your guests will be so pleasantly surprised.I wanted something savory and crowd-pleasing, but wanted to use fresh seasonal fruit. I added segments of Wonderful Sweet Scarletts red grapefruit which is actually much sweeter than typical white or pink grapefruit. You get grapefruit flavor, but no bitterness. The pomegranates are the most festive color and give a little texture and tangy burst. Both fruits play off the lime, onions and creamy avocado.

If you’ve never segmented citrus, it is quite simple. I cut off the ends of the grapefruit, stem and bottom, about 1/2 inch in. Then stand it on one flat end and slice the rind and pith off following the shape of the fruit. Then hold it in your hand and slice in between the membranes to remove each segment. I chop my segments up for this recipe.

Even the simplest things can look fantastically impressive on the table with a little thought. These chicken skewers are great for dinner, but make such a fun party platter that they scream to be served in a giant circle for a crowd! And have you tasted sweet chili sauce? …with, like, everything!

These are great warm or at room temperature, so you’re set for a potluck, party or game day! [Insert favorite team cheer here]

Slice the chicken into about 36 thin strips and place in a ziptop plastic bag with the spice paste. Seal the bag and turn the chicken to it gets well coated with the spices. Chill for 1 to 2 hr.

Soak bamboo skewers in water, then thread each skewer with a piece of pineapple, a strip of chicken and a tomato. Heat grill to medium high. Spray chicken with cooking spray and then place on the grill. Cook just until done, turning once, 7 to 8 min total.

Arrange on a round platter with a bowl of sweet chili sauce in the center for dipping.